Penholder



y 29, 1934- c. E. CARLSON ,960,695

PENHOLDER Filed Dec. 1. 1931 v i f g @WR VENTQ TTORNE Patented May 29, 1934 PENHOLDER Carl E. Carlson, Attleboro, Mass, assignor to Evans Case Company, North Attleboro, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 1, 1931, Serial No. 578,234

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a holder for pens or the like and more particularly to a holder for fountain pens and the like adapted to be set on a desk or table.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple and practical penholder of the above-mentioned character that will be rugged and durable in construction and thoroughly efiicient in actual practical use. Another object is 10 to provide a device of the above-mentioned character that may be quickly swung into various positions for most convenient use and will dependably maintain any of such positions against the weight of the supported pen. Another ob- J'ect is to provide a penholder oi the above-mentioned character whose resistance to a change in position may be quickly and effectively varied in a simple and reliable manner and may thus be readily suited to the various needs or desires met with in practical use. Another object of this invention is toprovide a device of the abovementioned character that will lend itself to simple, rapid and economical manufacture and that is well adapted to be produced in large quantities. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section of the completely assembled holder, and shows, by way of illustration, a fountain pen supported thereby,

Figure 2 is a detached fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the mounting and support for the holder per se, and

Figure 3 is a view as seen along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views in the draw- Referring to the drawing and more particularly so to Figure 1, there is shown at 10 a suitable base preferably elongated and adapted to rest upon a desk or table. The base may be made of any suitable material. While the base 10 may be given any suitable shape, I have illustratively shown it as flat and elongated and may, if desired, be adapted to conveniently fit within a desk drawer when not in actual use.

The base 10 serves to support a receptacle 11 which is preferably substantially cylindrical in form and which is hollowed out to receive, for 60, example, a pen 12. The upper end or open mouth of the receptacle may be flared as shown at 13 to better direct or guide the point of the pen. when it is inserted in the receptacle. While a number of materials may be conveniently used in the construction of the receptacle 11, I preferably use a material such as a phenolic condensation product which may be simply and economically produced, lending itself to rapid manufacture, and which, at the same time, is attractive in appearance.

The lower end portion of the socket 11 (see Figure 2) is preferably closed as at 14 and is internally bored and threaded as at 15 to engage a socket support in the form of a threaded stem portion 16 projecting axially from a disc-like plate member 17. The plate member 17 and its associated screw threaded stem portion 16 are preferably integral and conveniently and preferably made of some metal such as brass which lends itself to rapid and economical working, andwhich is also durable and not readily tarnishable in use.

The plate 17 (see Figure 3) is preferably slotted as at 17 17 and 17, the purpose of which will more fully appear hereinafter. The slots are, illustratively shown as three in number, being equally spaced about the axis of the plate 17 and extending in a radial direction from the axis of the plate 17. By way of illustration, the slots 17, 17 and 17 may conveniently assume a rectangular shape and dimensions in which their radial lengths are approximately three times their widths. The plate 17 (see Figures 1 and 2) serves to support fingers 18, 19 and 20 respectively which are loosely received within and extend through the slots 17 17 and 17, the fingers being in cross-section dimensioned to match the shape of slots 17*, 17 and 17. The fingers 18, 19 and 20 are preferably so shaped that their inner edges 18**, 19 and 20 form an arc of a circle, the purpose of which will appear more fully hereinafter. The outer edges conveniently follow the general contour of the inner edges to give a relatively uni- 5 form finger thickness.

The other end portions of the fingers are preferably turned outwardly as at 18 19 and 20 Fingers 18, 19, and 20 are conveniently and preferably made of brass and may be punched or 110 stamped out in the general shape and proportions shown.

Each finger is placed within its respective slot after which it is preferably slightly bent so that, while it is loosely received within its slotted portion of the plate 17, it will not readily drop out upon disassembly of the completed device.

The fingers 18, 19 and may tilt or pivot, this action being permitted by the loose fit between the central straight portions 18, 19, and 20 of the finger (see Figure 2) and the slots 17*, 17 and 17 respectively. The widths of the respective slots are such that a reasonably snug fit is provided between the mid portions of the several fingers and the side walls of the several slots; this arrangement prevents walobling of the fingers in a radial direction.

Positioned about the screw-threaded stem 16 of the plate member 17 (see Figure 2) is a CiICll'. lar collar or washer 22 somewhat dished, having a concave face 22 which is adapted to contact with the butt or end face 14 of the tube-like receptacle 11 and convex outer face 24, the outer portions of which are adapted to contact the end portions 18 19 and 20 of the fingers. Collar 22 is slidable along the stem 16 and as it is urged toward plate member 17 and against the ends of the fingers, the curved end parts of the fingers that project beyond the other side of plate 1'? are swung inwardly.

The base 10 carries a stud 25 (see Figure 1) having an outer flange portion 26 adapted to rest against the upper face of base 10. Projecting upwardly from the stud 25 is a ball member 2'? connected to part 25 by a neck 28.. The member 25 may be fastened to the base 10 in any suitable way, as, for example, by means of a screw 29 extending within and engaging a central threaded portion of the member 25. The base 10 may be countersunk as at 30 to receive the screw 29 with its associated washer 31. The member 25 with its associated screw 29 may be conveniently made of somematerial such as brass which may be rapidly and economically produced and which will adequatelywithstand the use to which it is subjected.

The dimension of the ball 27 of the stud 25 are such tha t the inner curvededges 18 19 and 26' of the fingers mate with and engage the ball to give a large contact surface; preferably the. radii of these inner curved portions of the fingers are equal to that of the ball portion 27. This gives a large gripping surface for the. fingers upon the ball, which is thus snugly received between or within the three fingers.

The receptacle 11 is screwed onto the threaded stem 16 of the plate 17, as above noted, and as it is threaded downwardly, it moves the collar 22 toward plate 17, the outer convex surface 24 of the collar 22 wedging the end portions 18 19 and 20? of the fingersv apart, thus to cause the curved ball-gripping portions 18 19 and 2 0? to be swung inwardly to griptheball 27.

The gripping action of the various fingers 18, 19 and 20 upon the ball 27 may be changed as desired by increasing or decreasing the pressure exerted by the collar 22 upon the end portions 18 19 and 20 of the fingers and this may be quickly and readily achieved by screwing or unscrewing the penholder receptacle 11 on the threaded stem 16 to the desired extent to give the desired frictional grip.

By this construction, manyadvantages are achieved. It is of inexpensive and rapid manufacture and in use is of wide flexibility of action. For example, the penholder may be swung to any position above the upper surface of the base 10, the bearing faces of the gripping fingers sliding over the face of the ball. The holder may be swung completely around the upstanding support and hence through an angle of 360 and this is achieved no matter what is the working angle to the horizontal of the holder. Also, the holder may be swung in any desired vertical plane from a horizontal position on one side of the upstanding support to a horizontal position on the opposite side of the support. Moreover, the neck 28 is small enough to be received between the ends of any two adjacent fingers, and thus extreme range of vertical swinging is possible. Such flexibility of manipulation is highly advantageous in that the penholder may be quickly and effectively moved into any position convenient to the hand of the writer or which the user or writer may desire.

The penholder with a pen, indicated at 12 in Figure 1, inserted may be swung down against the upper surface 01" the base so that a minimum overall space is taken up by the entire device and it may thus also be conveniently placed within a desk drawer when not in service on the desk. The small overall dimensions, particularly the low overall height, are particularly advantageous in boxing for shipment or storage.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in this invention a penholder in which the various objects hereinabove set forth, together with many thoroughly practical advantages, are successfully achieved. It will be seen that the apparatus is of a thoroughly practical nature, is thoroughly dependable and simple in its manipulation and is well adapted to meet the various conditions imposed by actual practical use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a ball member mounted on said base, a receptacle, a slotted member in slotted engagement with said: receptacle, a plurality of finger means engaging said ball adjustably mounted within the slots, of said last mentioned member, and means interposed between said receptacle and said finger means adapted to exert pressure on said finger means upon rotation of; said receptacle about said slotted memher.

2 In. av device of the character described, in combination, a base, a ball member mounted on said base, a receptacle, means including a plurality of slotted portions engaging said receptacle, finger members pivotally mounted within each of the slotted portions of said last mentioned means having their one corresponding end portions adapted to engage said ball member, and means adjacent said receptacle for urging the other corresponding end portions of said finger means into frictional engagement with said ball member.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a post secured to said base, a receptacle, a slotted member in threaded engagement with said receptacle, and a plurality of fingers extending through the. slots of said slotted member, the portions thereof on one side of said slotted. member. embracing said post and,

the portions thereof on the other side of said slotted member being in registry with the lower end of said receptacle.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a post extending from said base, a receptacle, a slotted member threaded into said receptacle, and fingers extending through the slots of said slotted member, portions of said fingers on one side of said slotted member embracing said post and portions of said fingers on the other side of said slotted member extending radially from the center of said slotted member in registry with one end of said receptacle, said receptacle adapted to exert pressure on said last-mentioned portions of said fingers when rotated about said slotted member.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a ball extending from said base, a pen receptacle, a part threaded into the closed end of said receptacle and having a platelike portion, said plate-like portion having a plurality of slots therein, and a plurality of finger members extending through said slots, the portions of said finger members on one side of said plate-like portion being arc shaped and embracing said ball, while the portions thereof on the other side of said plate-like portion extend substantially radially and in registry with said closed end of said receptacle.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a post extending from said base, a receptacle, a part threaded into the closed end of said receptacle, and a plurality of members extending through said part to engage said post on one side of said part, the free ends of said members being in registry with said closed end of said receptacle.

7. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a post extending from one surface of said base, a receptacle, a part in threaded engagement with the closed end of said receptacle and having a plate-like portion, a member engaging the closed end or" said receptacle and having its exposed surface reduced, and a plurality of fingers slidably retained within the plate-like portion of said part, the portions thereof on one side of said plate-like portion engaging and embracing said post and the portions thereof on the other side of said plate-like portion being in engagement with said reduced surface of said member.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a post extending from said base, a receptacle, means forming a reduced surface on the closed end of said receptacle, a retaining member threaded into said closed end of said receptacle, and a plurality of fingers retained by said retaining member and embracing said post, the free ends of said fingers being disposed between said retaining member and said firstmentioned means.

9. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base, a post extending from said base, a receptacle, the closed end thereof being reduced, retaining means threaded into said closed end of said receptacle, and a plurality of fingers retained by said retaining means and embracing said post, portions of said fingers being disposed between said retaining means and said closed end of said receptacle whereby the turning of said receptacle in one direction about said retaining means forces said fingers toward said post.

CARL E. CARLSQN. 

